Focus:

Complete attention to execution of skill.

Flow:

State of being completely engrossed in the execution of a performance to the exclusion of everything else.
Your best performance is when in a state of flow.

Are focused on

· performance  (skills, routine being executed)

· stimuli relevant to sport

Are not focused on

· self (not aware of own awareness, consciousness, ego)

· evaluation (of skills being performed)

· distractions (results, judges, audience, expectations)

· analyzing (no conscious decisions in mind, no reasoning with words)

Specifically, avoid wanting to win, showing off, wanting to terrify opponent, the desire to be reactive and not     take initiative, trying so hard to achieve correct state of mind that you distract yourself.

Are in complete control of actions and reactions

Must practice and train attention:

The eastern approach use Zen, a mystical approach. Zen is a state of almost pure flow and concentration.

The western approach use sport psychology using the same ideas with skills-based approach.

Analyzing Your Sports Requirements:

• Focus on
  • physical skill executed
  • tactics before execution of skill (priming)
  • cues of opponent
• Focus requirements and cues to look for will differ from sport to sport and position to position.
• Analyzing physical skill to focus on: physiological viewpoint. (physics → physiology → psychology)

Practice and Training to Improve Skill of Focusing:

• Concentrated focus: Method: Study object for some time. Get completely involved with it - shape, color, texture, smell, etc. Switch focus to different object. Get completely involved with it. (Can do the same with sounds)
• Rapid switch of focus:
• Losing focus: As you get better in sport, may start to lose focus, because reactions more automatic, less attention required, and opponents not challenging enough. Regain focus with goal setting. Set performance goals that are difficult enough to maintain motivation.

Attention can be narrow or broad, conscious or subconscious, focused or with flow, explicit or implicit. The following chart categorizes attention. Figure 7-3 Attention Concentration, Figure 7-4, Attention Types

What is Stimulus Control?

Develop control by using environmental situations to cue you to change something.

What is an End Point?

Something you aim for.

Use “end points” to make a deliberate change in your athletic style, or to hold onto your attention. Broadly speaking, end points are used to section off course. Sectioning off course may simply be a cue to signal change, or it may be used to help finish the current task.
Even though you are making conscious changes in your performance, flow should not get disrupted because aiming requires the visual and tactical activity. This occurs in the right side of the brain, in the same area that flow occurs.

1) Aiming for End Point:

Visualize yourself moving through a premeditated point in course. Always visualize like a video , so movements are smooth and continuous. If you visualize a static picture, then your movements will become robotic. Can use a verbal cue to prompt a visual cue.

2) Once the end point is reached, it is your cue to change something:

When reach end point, automatic reaction will be “now what?” There is a delay between the time you make up your mind on what to do, and by the time this information gets sent through your spinal cord. Most of the delay is in making up your mind on what to do next, which is almost zero with mastery.

“Now What?”

• Change athletic style:
  • Can change something specific, such as arm, power punch, etc. Is like “gear shifting”.
  • Can change the feel, or “flow”. Such as being light on feet, aggressive, control, etc.
• Changing attention:
  • Can section off course to hold onto your attention.
  • You can change locus of control (external ←→internal) or focus (close ←→ far)

Examples:

• Information overload (changing focus):
  • Occurs when you run out of room in your working memory.
  • You have to decide on what to pay attention to, and what not to pay attention to.
• More Power (change locus of control):
  • Extreme internal focus for a short period of time focusing on a specific muscle

3) Hold to Next End Point:

The new change continues until the next end-point is reached.

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Ask these questions in sequence to decide appropriate use if end points:

end point:

· Where is end point on course?

· What is your equipment doing at end point?

· What is your body position/movement at end point?

change something: When reach end point, automatic reaction will be “now what?”

· What are you changing, if anything?

· How are you cueing yourself to change?

hold to next end point:

· Where is next end point?